Through Blood and Tears
by Stupid Studios
Summary: Border is there for people. They are there to stop Neighbors from invading. Save others from Neighbors. Continue to win, hoping for no loses. Keep looking out to the horizon for the next day to come. Everyone in Border would fight to make sure their world was safe. (Rating may go up)
1. Ketsueki Kagerei

**Disclaimer:** World Trigger is owned by Ashihara Daisuke. Minoru and Taka are owned by Yujonokage

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** Ketsueki Kagerei

* * *

The sound of flesh pounding into flesh could be heard in the room.

Grunts and groans came after every sound, each second having a noise filling it up.

The repeated movements of the two people there made for an interesting rhythm that created a sort of melody with those noises alone. Sweat rolled down their faces and their heartbeats continued to pump at an above average rate, adding more to the sounds.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to go so hard. Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine. Let's continue."

The sounds continued on, even amplifying with the repeated sound of a body hitting the ground with a good amount of force. If it wasn't for the fact that a mat was there to cushion each hit to the ground then the pain would be worse.

The two people in the ground continued their rigorous activity in the room, both having ragged breaths.

The intensity coming from the both of them continued to pour out.

They both found this to be helpful in some way.

This helped to forget.

This helped to distract.

This helped to get everything out.

Both of them gave their consent to this before starting.

The two of them had decided that this was a fine and went all out because of it.

They continued to pound into each other with everything they had. They would finish and feel satisfied once this was all done.

Until then...

"Let's keep going!"

"Are you sure? Maybe we should take a break."

"It's fine. We both need this right now. The more we go at it the better we will both feel at the end of it all."

"If you say so."

* * *

Kagerei Ketsueki let out a content sigh as he used the towel around his neck to get the sweat off of his face. Next to him, Hatohara Minoru did the same. The two looked rather tired with their breathes trying to even out.

Ketsueki walked over to two water bottles. He grabbed one for himself while tossing the other to the younger male.

"Thank you for helping me train, Minoru-kun. I'm more of a spearman, but this still helps to move my body the way I want it to move. I really appreciate it."

"It's fine. This also helps me out so we are both benefitting from this."

Ketsueki gave a smile while walking towards the door. He heard the other following by the sound of the second set of feet behind him.

The two started down the hallway, not bothering to stop the conversation going on.

"Still, even after all of this, I can't really seem to win. I lose to you in our sparing, I lose to Rei-san at arm wrestling and I'm still not the best with a polearm among everyone in Border. Kirie-chan and Yosuke-kun are such tough people to pass."

"To be fair, I've been doing this a lot longer than you. You are getting a lot better though. The time it takes for you to hit the mat is a lot longer than before. You can hold your head up in pride about that."

"Yeah. I suppose. It would just be nice to win once in a while. Generally speaking that is. I am fine with lose to a more experienced person. It's only natural they would be better than me, so no complaints."

"Hm? What do you mean? Don't you win a lot when you do some solo matches or practices?"

"I wish. Any time I feel like doing a solo match I end up noticing that I'm not even in Mikado City anymore. The last time that happened I was in a different country altogether."

"Ah. You really do have a habit of just up and leaving..."

Ketsueki could only sigh at the sad fact that what he had been told was true.

He was a man who love mythology of all kind. He never actually believed in any of the stories that were told yet he enjoyed the stories themselves. That was why he would have lapses where his love for mythology would take over and he would end up leaving on unexpected vacations to learn more about different mythologies. That was also why he was usually chosen to go on away missions as well. His love for mythology extended to other worlds.

Even so, this would cause problems more often than not. It was always troublesome for the directors when they could not figure out where he had gone or when he had duty and was nowhere to be found. Even the one from Tamakoma - the branch he belonged to - found this irritating at times.

Although there were those who found this rather entertaining. There were many times where people like Tachikawa, Touma and, shockingly enough, Ninomiya joined in on his trips. Those were when everyone was fine with it since the added people would tell the directors beforehand.

It was the sad truth that he let his interests override his logic.

"Oh yeah, I have something from Egypt for you and Masa. I figured I would get some souvenirs for all the trouble I cause everyone."

"There's no need for that. I'm pretty sure that most of us are use to it by this point."

"That shouldn't be something that happens..." He gave another sigh. "Well, I suppose I can't do much more. Although having to apologize to the directors every time gets tiring. Especially since I'm pretty sure Netsuki-san is out to get me while Kido-san glares at me every time he sees me."

Minoru could only give a small pat on the back, unsure of how to comfort the older man.

It was also a truth that due to his sudden disappearances that he started to get on some of the director's bad sides.

Before he could say anything to cheer the man up, a noise was heard.

"Woof!"

Hearing the familiar bark of a dog, Ketsueki quickly shot his head up and ran forward.

The speed he used to run made it really seem like he had not just been in a sparing match with a skilled martial artist.

.

Ketsueki quickly slid into the room before looking around wildly. It wasn't long until he found his target. When he did...

"Taka!"

He made another quick dash to where a small Samoyed pup was happily barking. That was when he also noticed what the pup was barking at. Rather, who it was barking at.

"Krümel too!?"

He slid on the ground, ready to grab both pups from the bound and lift them up.

What he failed to notice were the people standing around the two pups.

One of the people quickly bent down and lifted the two dogs into the air, leaving Ketsueki to continue sliding on the floor and getting a small amount of burns from the friction.

"Ow..."

"Sorry, Ketsu-san! I picked them up out of reflex! Krümel-kun got scared when you suddenly rushed them so I just did it! I'm really sorry!"

"There's no need to be sorry, Hogo. Just let him stay there for a bit. He got too excited at seeing the dogs."

"Rei-san, that's so mean! You could at least help me up."

Kizaki Reiji rolled his eyes as he bent down. He placed both hand under Ketsueki's arms and easily lifted him up, his feet now barely hanging from the floor.

"I was kidding..."

Ketsueki only blushed a bit as he was gently placed back in the ground.

He coughed into his hand before looking over at the boy who was holding the two pups. He slowly walked over before holding his arms out.

The Samoyed pup happily barked before jumping into his arms.

The German Shepard that was still in the boy's arms made a small noise before being gently handed over.

Ketsueki was quick to gently rub his face into their fur. The soft feeling and happy barks were enough for him to forget that small injury he had just gotten.

"This guy..."

"We can't really blame him. He just really loves dogs."

Kizaki looked over to see Minoru walk in with the towel around his neck and a bottle in hand.

"I know. That's why he went to Egypt. He wanted to know more about Anewbus."

"It's pronounced 'Anubis,' Rei-san. Not 'a new bus'."

"Right..."

Seeing the interactions going on, Hogo Oshiro smiled. It was nice to see his dog fine with this kind of thing. That was probably because he knew that Ketsueki would spoil him if he wanted.

He looked around before turning to Kizaki.

"Kizaki-san, where is everyone else? This whole place seems to be empty. I would have thought that at least Yotaro-kun and Usami-san would be here."

"They're just out right now. The two you mentioned went over to see Miwa Squad while the others are just doing other things right now."

"They probably went to see Yosuke-kun." Oshiro jumped a bit before turning over to the one with the two dogs. "Ketsu-san, Yosuke-kun actually as a message for...you..."

The three currently standing up looked down to see Ketsueki on the floor, Krümel in his grasp, high above him and in the air. On his stanch was Taka, jumping on him as if he was a trampoline. It was a very odd sight.

Minoru and Oshiro contemplated taking their dogs back but saw that they were having fun and decided against it.

Even so, Kizaki let out a sigh before bending down again. He repeated his process of lifting Ketsueki up. This time he didn't let the other stand and instead simply held him in the air like a child.

The two dog owners could see their dogs running around, playing. With Ketsueki no longer able to play with them they settled for playing with each other.

"Alright, Hogo, continue."

"Right..."

Oshiro could see Ketsueki blushing like crazy for the fact he was being held like a child by Kizaki. He could understand the feeling since he had been in similar situations with a certain Gunner.

Thinking that it was better to continue talking, he ignored the blush and spoke.

"Yosuke-kun wanted to know if you wanted to have a solo match with him. He said that he wanted to try something and asked me to pass the message on."

"'Something,' you say? I wonder what it could be."

"You should probably go see what it's about."

"I would love to... If you wouldn't put me down that is!"

He was gently placed on the ground for a second time. The blush on his face still lingered, even when he moved over and coughed.

"I don't have my phone on me. Hogo-kun, can you message him back saying that I will be at the base in an hour? I am interested in seeing what he has in mind. Rei-san, I'll probably be out for the rest of the day. If anyone asks where I am then just tell them where I am."

"Right. Just make sure you don't go off and disappear again. I don't want to hear that you just suddenly went off in another trip without letting any of us know. If you do that... I'll make sure you get punished. Even more so than the directors."

"G-got it...! It won't happen!"

Minoru and Oshiro could only watch with varying expressions as the two Tamakoma me,beers continued to talk to each other like good friends. Rather, it reminded them a bit of how talks between them and their boyfriends were at times.

They turned to each other for a few scolds before turning around and bending down. They grabbed their dogs before walking towards the front door.

"Hm? You two are leaving now? Minoru-kun, did you get your stuff?"

"I'll come back for it later..."

Ketsueki tilted his head a bit as he watched the two of them walked out the door.

"We will see you guys later! We have some people to go talk to right now!"

The door closed behind them, leaving a confused Ketsueki and a Kizaki who already figured out what was going on.

He looked at the bigger man but got no answer.

* * *

A strange woman took one step after another.

Her clothing seemed like it had came from Spain while her actual appearance was undoubtedly that of an Asian. The contrast seemed odd, yet also went well together. Her crimson clothing and short purple hair moved with each step.

She walked with purpose, ignoring the stares she was getting from others and simply made her way down the street.

 _This place is nice. I am very glad that I do not have to total it and crush everything around me. Over._

From where she was walking she could see the large building in the middle of the city. The structure seemed like a fortress rather than a regular building. The surrounding area had buildings, but no one actually moving around them.

A large black ball with crackling electricity started to appear near the fortress-like building. From it came strange creatures that would undoubted be taken out by the people coming from that fortress-like building.

This was Miden after all.

 _The residence her call this place "Earth" instead of Miden. I suppose that is fine since they live here. They are free to call it whatever they want. In the end, though, it is still a massive target for others to come and dominate. Over._

She looked down at her wrists to see two white bracelets hanging there. One was slightly larger than the other, but unless you were to look really close you wouldn't notice it at all.

 _Will I be able to do something using these? To be sent here by myself... So troubling. Well, I am only here to check things out. The others may come later. Once I give my report. I just make sure to examine every pat of this location. Should this place become a target for a large nation, we can use that to our advantage. No matter what, I will make sure that they are prepared in some way. Over._

Crimson and purple fluttered in the wind as one step was taken after another.

A conspicuous woman continued to walk down one of the streets of Mikado City. The large fortress-like building known as the Border base could easily be seen from where she was walking. Even the Gates opening around the building could be seen.

For one reason or another, this woman was here. A woman who simply did not belong on this world was walking around.

 _Maybe I will even be able to fine a man who I may call "husband" here. Over._

* * *

A strange woman was not the only one who seemed to be wandering around Mikado City with hidden motives.

A boy who seemed to be in his late teens grinned. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, yet he grinned. Blood that did not belong to him stained his clothing, yet he grinned. A fight had just gone down that ended with multiple bodies on the floor, yet he grinned.

He grinned as if everything that was on him was a trophy - something for others to see and for him to be proud of.

 _The pain~ The pain~ Oh~ I think I just came! This pain is so good!_

The boy stopped for a moment before frowning.

 _Nah. This pain really isn't anything. It isn't really enough to give me pure bliss. I don't really know what kind of pain I'm looking for but... This really isn't anything. Shot, cut, stabbed, broken bones, disclosed joints, limbs chopped off. Emotional, mental, physical. Which of those am I looking for? Will it be heaven or hell when I happen to find it?_

The boy could feel it. His whole body was in pain and throbbing, yet it seemed like he felt nothing at all. He frown out of boredom and he walked as if the world was frozen and he could take as much time as he wanted.

After all, why should he care about anything going on? Nothing in the world see,Ed to give enough pain for him to feel like he should care. As long as that special kind of pain eluded him then there was no point in caring about anything.

Misó knew he had to deal this boring life.

He continued on. He continued to live and deal with boring life. This lack luster life if his that had pointless pain and idiots who he could easily hurt.

 _Those people are the worst. I really get bored with people who are so easily wounded. There is no fun if they fall to their knees crying after the first thing I say or do. Granted, someone if them are fun. I especially love the ones who want to end it all by the end of it~ Breaking them to that point-_

The boy felt a wonderful shiver run through his whole body.

He could feel himself get warmer. Goosebumps started appearing on his skin as he thought about it more.

 _Their faces in agony~ The moment they realize just how painful something like a true cut feels~ Or when they try it with some rope! That slow pain! Ah! The best times are when I stop them before they finish! The realization that they had failed and are still in pain!_

He fell to the ground, on his knees. He could feel something boiling inside of him. It felt like pleasure. It wasn't complete pleasure, but it was enough for him.

"Hm~!"

He let out a few breathes before slowly standing up.

Pain and pleasure went hand-in-hand for him. One can lead to the other and vice versa. That was how Misó saw things.

 _I guess I should get to work though. It sucks, but I need to do it. I need to make sure that everything is set up right for them. I can get punishment for failing, but I'm sure my reward will be much better. Besides..._

He started grinning once more.

 _If things go smoothly, I may end up finding the sort of pain I was looking for this whole time. Maybe it will come from someone innocent. Those kinds of people are always fun~ Then again, seeing a strong-willed person go down is also fun~ I suppose I will just have to wait and see._

Misó continued to grin as he continued to walk. Each step, each breath, each movement was a painful one that was not good enough for him to call it real pain. None of this was good enough for him.

Deciding to think about other things, he looked around. Maybe then something interesting could catch his attention.

He knew he had made the right choice in doing so when he saw a strange woman in crimson walking across the street.

 _What do we have here~?_

* * *

The area chosen for this was near a mountain range that lead from one place to another. This area had a barrier partway through.

If it was an actual place in the world, the open area in front of the barrier would normally be filled with different vehicles carrying goods; but that was not the case now.

Two figures faced each other as the setting sun lit the area.

One was a gray-haired man standing at the foot of the mountain and wearing a dark blue uniform and what looked to be armor. He held a long gray and blue trident.

"Kagerei Ketsueki, A-Rank agent of Border and spearman of Tamakoma Branch."

He was also an oddly polite and honorable man.

The other was a guy standing toward the mountain and wearing a gray uniform and blue buttons. He held a spear.

"Guess I gotta follow suit~ Yoneya Yōsuke, A-Rank agent of Border and spearman of Miwa Squad."

It always felt weird to say it, as well as not to say it.

And the younger boy asked a question.

"Why do you always want to do that?"

"Force of habit. I always thought of those who use polearms to be respectable. Do you dislike it?

"It's fine. It's just that it's a bit weird. You aren't embarrassed by it?"

"Of course not! I am a strange person and will stick to that! That is how all Tamakoma members are!"

"U-um..."

Yoneya averted his gaze and spoke out.

"Um, Narasaka. How am I supposed to talk to someone with difficult circumstances?"

"What the heck? Why are you asking me something like that? If anything, he ranks at about 1/5 that crazy woman."

"I see." Yoneya looked up and finally spoke to Ketsueki once more. "Thanks for taking up my offer for a fight."

"What do you mean?"

Yoneya tilted his head at that question and he used his left hand to point at Ketsueki's trident.

"Trishula is a special Trigger that doesn't let you enter rank wars and it's crazy strong. It sucks that you didn't make it back when we went to Tamakoma, so I didn't get to fight you at that time. Still, it would have been a great stopper for us, aside from that Black Trigger. Still, wouldn't it have been better to rush back so you could help out? I'm pretty sure you were told about what would happen."

Ketsueki remained silent.

After a while, he looked up in the artificial sky and suddenly brought a hand to his forehead.

"How could I be so stupid!?"

"Eh...? Ehhh!?"

But Ketsueki quickly lowered his gaze. He brought a hand to his chin, hung his head, and muttered under his breath as if counting something.

"Wait."

"...For what?"

"Just give me a moment. Yes."

He lightly stuck his left hand with his right fist and looked back toward Yoneya.

"I have a feeling that arrangement was decided by Jin."

"I see."

"I only heard half of what he said, but I believe he had a good reason for it. In that case, there was a good reason for me to not rush back."

"You sure do have a positive mindset."

"No," he answered. "I think about nothing but mythology and dogs, so my mindset is neither positive nor negative."

"Who do you think will win this time?"

Yoneya lightly spread his legs as he spoke. He moved them forward and back while maintaining a gentle width.

"In general, you can't beat me in speed. You get that, right? If you get it... It's fine to give up."

"You say that... But you really want this fight. We need to see who is better at this. Leaving Kirie-chan to the side, we are the two in Border who use polearms constantly. I am actually really excited for this. Also..."

Ketsueki lightly spread his legs as well. He also moved them forward and back, but then he leaned forward.

"I haven't been too serious until now."

"Neither was I."

"I was at 50%."

"I was at 30%."

"No, I meant 25%. Yeah."

"I said 15%, right?"

The two of them pulled their weapons back as if extending them.

"Then..."

They slowly began to move as if pushing their bodies forward.

"Now is the time to get serious!"

Immediately afterwards, gray speed and blue speed collided.

* * *

Ketsueki Kagerei

Attacker

\- 20 Years Old

\- Born Oct. 31

\- Chronos, Bloody Type O

\- Height: 6'2"

\- Likes: Mythology, Pool, Dogs, Fire


	2. Spearmen

**Chapter 2:** Spearmen

* * *

Yoneya heard noises from every single direction.

The wind carried the sounds of attacks and defense.

Some were from his strikes and others were from strikes he deflected.

He wanted to avoid clashing weapons as much as he could. Each attack was hard, so that meant each attack had large amounts of power behind it.

His specialized spear was a sturdy weapon that he could just recreate, but that did not mean he could use it with reckless abandon.

 _...But I can't worry about that against an opponent like this._

He was fast.

A repeated mixture of high-speed attacks came from every direction.

When he tried to evade, a counterattack would arrive and the butt of the trident would add on yet another attack.

If he moved his right leg out, Ketsueki would try to cut off that leg. If he moved his shoulder forward, he would jab the spear toward it. If he drew back, he would push forward. If he moved forward, he would deliver a shower of jabs and other attacks.

The speed of his rotation was something others had lacked.

And the reason for that rotation speed was obvious.

 _...It's shorter than usual and frequent use of the butt of the spear._

By rotating the trident like a baton, using his wrist as the axis, he could simultaneously attack, hold him in check, and defend. And once some space opened up, he could close that space with a jab. If the trident was deflected, he could reverse the rotation and attack from the opposite direction.

The shortened shaft raised his rotation speed and allowed him to switch direction more quickly.

The butt of the trident was not an emergency weapon for him. He used it just like the blade, so he could attack twice as often.

 _...And he uses a new Trigger!_

Ketsueki was the current tester if a new Trigger that increased speed. The way it was done was different than the instantaneous burst of speed Grasshopper gave. This Trigger "pushed aside" any sort of thing that was keeping the user from going at their full speed.

Each time this Trigger was used a sign frame would appear in front of his knee before his speed grew.

 _...Would you call this a chain of attacks?_

It could also be called a never-ending series of attacks.

"Seriously, where did you get this chain of attacks from!?"

He put some distance between them with a powerful strike of his spear.

"...!"

But he did not respond. As if speaking would mess up his speed, he kept his sharp gaze on the leading edge of his speed and continued moving.

Occasionally, he would spin his trident from one side of his body to the other in order to raise his attack speed even further. He used the spinning of the trident to gain some distance for his body.

Even his footwork and breathing were synchronized to his forward and back movements. He did not falter in the slightest.

He was fast.

Every motion led into the next and he did not stop when an attack was deflected.

As his blade flew about and landed grazing strikes, several green lines appeared on Yoneya's skin.

The sound, the wind, his dancing moves, and everything else drew horizontal and vertical arcs.

 _...But..._

As Yoneya repeatedly pushed off the ground without making curved turns or motions, durst and dust scattered into the air.

"Let's take this even further!"

.

As Yoneya's speed began to rise, a twisted feeling filled Ketsueki.

He was fully focused on controlling his body.

He had no idle thoughts. All worldly desires could be easily sealed away with training and he always chanted a certain phrase before battle.

 _...Just resist until you win!_

Victory always felt nice. In that case, he just needed to keep quiet and win.

But a twisted feeling still arrived in a head lacking idle thoughts. The feeling had some bitterness to it.

 _...Here he comes!_

Yoneya was raising his speed.

His method was simple. He used short bursts by pushing off the ground.

He would continually reproduce a foothold needed for movement and use it to raise his entire body's speed.

This method would normally cause enormous exhaustion during a body with real bodies. This was different, seeing as how they were both using Trion bodies. It was made even more possible by the fact that their battlefield was made up of dirt instead of something like concrete.

His method was unlike Ketsueki's. His speed was generated by the use of a Trigger. If he raised his speed too much, he would not be able to keep up and start running out of control, but he maintained the perfect speed during battle.

Yoneya used natural speed for a long battle.

Ketsueki used natural speed and a Trigger for a quick battle.

That was why he had chosen a battle style including a great number of movements and frequent use of the butt of his trident. Doing so would build up his acceleration and reach his top speed more quickly.

 _...But..._

His chain of speed was reaching its limit and Yoneya was beginning to push back.

He felt bitter.

After all, if Yoneya gave no thought to his exhaustion, his speed had no upper limit. If he gave no thought to the consequences and did not worry about damage to his body, he could instantly produce great speed and defeat him.

The true spearman was fast.

Ketsueki recalled a time when he had accelerated by using his natural speed and Yoneya had interfered.

The fact that he had not been at his top speed from the first step was no excuse. The same was surely true for him.

 _...His speed is also a result of training._

Yoneya's Triggers did not strengthen him. It helped him to move forward and get his true strength out. If he had lost, it meant his true strength had lost.

But Ketsueki's Triggers strengthened him. He was producing something greater by getting help to move forward.

 _...So I will still win!_

Yoneya had fought multiple battles and won, even against Ketsueki himself.

 _...I will win this time!_

His name meant he had to be "an example".

He knew he was being too prideful when he thought that he always had to be a model for others to follow. Even so, that was just how he was.

How did he look to others when he lost?

He did not know. He knew the result, but he still did not know what to think.

But there was one way to know.

 _...If I win, I will finally ask._

Then he would learn the answer. And it would feel better than losing and learning the answer.

And so he raised the speed of his chain of attacks. He arrived at the highest point he had reached in his training with others.

.

Yoneya judged his opponent as he moved at a fast pace.

 _...Can you speed up even further!?_

Ketsueki began to attack even more quickly. His chain of attacks was already fast enough that he was almost exclusively defending. The color green flew from both of them thanks to scrapes and shallow cuts, but he had more such injuries.

 _...And his tactics are quite careful._

Ketsueki had previously lost to him in a competition of speed, so he was challenging him at close range without using his legs much. He would approach and push to prevent him from moving freely.

It was a good tactic.

 _But,_ he thought. _It's too straightforward._

By using a chain of attacks, each one had to flow into the next.

Ketsueki's focus on that meant the attacks themselves were less decisive than they might have been. In exchange for a continuing stream of attacks, he could not make his attacks any stronger. He was also worried Yoneya would move in toward him, so he was not throwing his weight into the attacks or extending his arms or body for greater reach.

Needless to say, even these attacks were dangerous at the speed he was moving. Even if he could not use a single decisive attack, raising his speed had made all of his attacks fatal.

 _...But..._

The lack of a single major attack meant he had no ups or downs.

By watching his flowing motions, Yoneya did not have to worry about what attack would come next.

He only had to determine when the other A-Rank's high-speed motions would send the next attack.

And once he determined that, he had to move. First, he focused on the bottom of his feet.

"...!"

He moved.

He charged directly toward the older one.

In response, he swung his trident from left to right.

 _...A good choice._

After all, he held the trident in his right hand. If an enemy charged in from the front and circled to the left, he would need to swing his trident around to his back.

By swinging from the left, he prevented him from circling to his left.

But Yoneya took action against the slash from his right.

"!"

He used his right hand to strike it with his spear's blade.

He swung it left and upwards. Trishula's blade was deflected into the air and the butt end immediately rotated in from below.

Before the butt end of the trident could arrive, Yoneya ran right and to the front to reach Ketsueki's back.

He rotated Trishula vertically with the right side of his body, but this caused a slight delay. After spinning the weapon vertically to hold it in his right hand, he could not immediately attack to the left.

Before he could turn around, Yoneya adjusted his grip on his weapon and passed by the side of his back.

It was a simple opening.

To continue his chain of attacks, he had to keep Trishula rotating. That rotation would be used as a jab or slash, but it was a wasted motion until it struck him. A vertical rotation was especially bad. It could not guide the enemy to the left or right and it was difficult to shift which side he held it on due to the weapon's weight.

He used the motion of his opponent deflecting his attacks, so Yoneya could deflect it in such a way that he held it on one side and then circle around to the opposite side of his back. He could then do whatever he wanted.

 _...But that is being too naïve._

Creating an opening like that was an elementary technique.

He was an A-Rank of the Tamakoma Branch who managed to become A-Rank with help only from an Operator. He would have been trained in how to handle this.

As Yoneya circled to the left side of his back, he watched his blade swing toward him.

If all went well, his strike would hit.

"...!?"

But Ketsueki casually moved his body to the other side of Trishula as it rotated vertically on his right side.

The rotating trident became an obstacle between his blade and his opponent.

Yoneya understood what had happened.

He had let go of Trishula as it rotated vertically and he had slipped through that rotation.

It was a simple action; he only had to take a step. That was enough to create a rotating barrier between his back and his foe.

But he had slipped through when it was rotating quickly enough to attack him.

 _...How much training has he gone through!?_

He then took control of the rotating shaft with his right wrist. Using the point of contact between the trident and his wrist, he altered its angle and speed.

It resembled a horizontal backhand that aimed to sweep out Yoneya's feet as he ran toward him.

"!"

He jumped to the left.

He grabbed Trishula's shaft as it passed horizontally behind his waist and rotated his entire body to perform the right backhand strike, but he performed a high-speed aerial cartwheel to move behind him.

As he landed, he would swing his spear toward Ketsueki.

The older one's backhand could not reach him there. The shaft was placed against the back of his waist, so he could not continue the swing.

This was not a naïve opening as before. This one was created by his speed outdoing the trident.

But he saw the branch member continue to move. He lowered his hips below the shaft that moved behind him in a backhand motion.

His hands remained on the shaft and his rotated Trishula over his head as he sat. With his waist no longer obstructing its rotation, he spun the trident toward the spot he would land in.

And it was going to hit.

.

Ketsueki did not hesitate to act.

He swung Trishula horizontally toward the spot where Yoneya would land.

Just as he thought he had him, he heard a single noise.

It was a strange noise.

It was the sound of Yoneya's feet landing after shrinking his body down as he cartwheeled through the air.

He had landed on Trishula's shaft.

He had shrunk down as much as possible and achieved a grip on the swinging shaft with the soles of his shoes.

"...!"

After landing on the shaft, he turned toward the Tamakoma member.

He was about to attack.

Ketsueki was sitting, so he could not evade.

But he made a certain decision.

 _This is it!_

.

As Yoneya started to run along the trident's shaft, he felt something off about his movements.

He was trying to move toward his opponent.

 _...I'm not getting closer._

He was moving away from Ketsueki.

He had been within arm's reach, but now he was a few steps away.

 _...This guy!_

He caught on. Trishula's did exactly what his spear could.

The trident's length could be altered. Its greatest length was six meters and its shortest was one meter.

Ketsueki quickly extended its shaft as far as it would go with him on top. A distance of six meters would require several steps.

And then he heard the other mutter.

"Senku..."

He knew that word meant the other would use the cutting attack.

Also like his spear, this Trigger could be used since the shaft acted the the actual thing needed to unleash the attack.

He did not know how much practice the older man had, but he could likely activate it regularly.

And so he looked behind him. The horizontal blade could attack him just fine like this.

An instant later, he heard the other's voice.

"There!"

.

It all came down to a series of decisions.

First, Ketsueki saw Yoneya move.

He bent his upper body as if preparing to dive and collapsed atop Trishula's shaft.

But he could not escape its attack with just that.

Once it cut, it would all be over.

But he saw the spearman take further action.

While lying atop the shaft, he stretched his right leg back and bent the ankle as far forward as he could manage.

"...!"

He covered the blade with the sole of his right shoe.

With the baked covered by his shoe and his body following the shaft, the cutting attack hit his shoe right away and blocked the attack.

The cutting attack did not hit the target and Ketsueki was dumbfounded.

 _...Such quick thinking!_

As his confusion created a lethal opening, Yoneya took the chance.

"You're open!"

As he spoke, he gathered up his body.

"...!"

And he ran.

.

Yoneya ran in a perfectly straight line with the speed needed to climb a wall.

He wielded his spear in his right arm, but his enemy was positioned to the left. On his second step, he stood up and rotated his entire body clockwise.

He was positioned for a right elbow jab and he performed a right backhand to slam his spear into Ketsueki who was still sitting.

It hit.

He heard a dry sound. Ketsueki's body and Trishula were knocked away.

"...!"

As he flew about a dozen meters, Ketsueki's clothes trailed after him. With Trishula still in his hand, he and it tore into the ground, rolled, and finally came to a stop.

Following that, the only motion was Yoneya landing with a thought in mind.

 _He really is good._

He could only grin at the great fight they were having.

He went in for another attack.

* * *

Some others from Miwa Squad saw Ketsueki as he was knocked away.

Narasaka, Kodera and Mikami had decided to watch the one-on-one fight between the two polearm users. The results seemed to appear far quicker than usual.

The one who now had the major advantage was Yoneya.

The three watched continued to see how the two of them moved. Each dodge, each block, each attack. They saw it all while keeping track of how the two could improve.

Although their captain did not like the Tamakoma Branch, they were all fine with them. They held no real malice for the members and so also made sure to correct anything Ketsueki did wrong once the fight was finished.

"What do you think is wrong? Kagerei-san is moving differently."

"He probably has something on his mind. He's focused most of the time. Something is bugging him enough to mess him up."

"It's better we find out about this problem now then when it comes up in a real fight."

The two Snipers nodded in agreement.

Losing in a practice match was one thing, but losing held more meaning in actual combat.

That was why the two were having this fight to begin with.

Tsukimi, Narasaka and Kodera could see all the mistakes Ketsueki was currently making. From there perspective, every few moves had at least one mistake in it.

They could only imagine how many mistakes Yoneya could find as he fought with the older man.

* * *

Ketsueki used his jumbled consciousness to think.

His thoughts were about as clear as when he first woke up each morning. He would suddenly find his thoughts digressing in ways he did not remember and almost forget what he had been thinking about before.

But he knew one thing for sure.

 _...I'm making a lot of mistakes._

He knew exactly why he was making all those mistakes against Yoneya right now.

 _...That itching feeling...in the back if my mind._

He had been getting a feeling that something was wrong. What that something was he did not know. All he knew was that it was enough to make him feel uneasy but not enough to fully take matter into his own hands.

He knew that this fight was a bit insulting to Yoneya. His full attention was not on the younger one and instead was on that feeling.

That was why he was glad at the words he heard next.

"We can talk abo whatever after we are done here. So focus and fight!"

 _That's right,_ he thought.

They were in a fight. That meant he had to completely focus on his next move and how it would gain him victory.

 _Right! I can't be letting others see me like this! Focus!_

He nodded, but did not speak his response.

He simply leaned forward and launched his body in the same direction.

He had lost a lot, but he had never once lost because of his own thoughts.

"-!"

This made Ketsueki revise his steps and he clashed with Yoneya.

.

Yoneya judged his opponent as they exchanged blows and evaded.

 _...He's slow?_

He did not need to ask why. The other was finally getting into the fight.

He had run along Trishula and struck the other with his full strength. Given their weight difference, Ketsueki could not have escaped unscathed.

 _But,_ he thought. _I tried to use the blade._

Rotating his body to attack was the proper way of using the weapon. It had been a backhand attack, but the changeable blade should have cut through him.

However, the other had done the very best he could to evade. He had realized his position prevented him from evading the attack.

 _...And he stayed close to the ground again._

Ketsueki had lowered his body to guide the spear's blade lower.

And in the instant the attack struck, he had raised his body while changing the length of the trident.

As a result, shaft of the spear had hit him instead of the blade itself. He had taken the rough attack full on, but it was far better than taking the blade attack

 _He's a great fighter._

He could sense the high level of Tamakoma's training. Achieving damage control by reflexively knowing which part of the body to sacrifice was not taught normally. And the effect of that skill was clear. The other had taken damage, but he was still moving.

Yet the other was slow. He was obviously much slower than before.

 _What's up with this?_

Ketsueki's movements somehow felt faster than before.

He would just barely evade, he would not deflect attacks, and his slashes and jabs whipped up the wind differently from before.

Wondering why, Yoneya began watching the other's movements more carefully. And then he figured it out.

 _His chain of attacks is gone?_

That chain of attacks moved the other's entire body at high speed. With his current mentality being all over the place, a slight distortion should have prevented him from continuing it.

But he was managing. With everything in mind, he was lowering the number of movements in the chain.

The other was lowering the burden. Sometimes he would flow into the next movement in the proper way, but other times he took irregular actions.

But this produced one major result.

 _These attacks aren't just close range now! He added in running starts with his attacks!_

And there was one other difference from before.

Yoneya was moving his feet less than during their previous clash.

 _It's probably becaus he's moving more._

The other one could not rely on his chain of high-speed attacks and defense, so he would move his feet to search out openings and to evade.

In the previous match, the other had known he could not outdo his speed, so the other had not challenged him in speed. He had moved as little as possible and used his chain of martial arts techniques to challenge him to a close range exchange of offense and defense.

Yoneya remembered a fight he had seen between Ketsueki and a strange woman from another squad. The strange woman had danced while mostly staying in one spot while he made related high-speed attacks that surrounded that opponent.

That had not been a chain of attacks like before; it had been repeated high-speed movement and attacks.

What would happen if he took that speed and added in this partial chain of attacks?

The fact that it was only partial made it difficult to predict and it included heavier hits that used a running start.

"...!"

Yoneya clenched his teeth and made up his mind.

He was outdoing the other in natural speed, something the other was currently using. He could not allow himself to forget that fact. Whether the other had a complete chain of attacks or a partial one, he would win if he was faster.

And so he raised his speed.

.

Wind and light flew in the evening clearing.

The wind was powerful and the light decorated the top and bottom of the wind until they vanished into the setting sun.

The sounds were dozens of times as numerous, but a voice suddenly joined them.

"Wow," said Kodera holding a filming device. "This is even more amazing than before!"

Shadowy afterimages began to appear in the clearing.

The afterimages were of Ketsueki attacking, Ketsueki evading, Ketsueki defending, Ketsueki spinning around, and Yoneya responding to all of those actions. So many shadows appeared that the word "many" was insufficient. Each time the wind and noises rang out, the clearing was filled with lights.

Ketsueki could be seen by his blue uniform and calmly jumping hair.

Yoneya could be seen by his gray uniform and the gray and green spear.

They both attacked head on, attempted to circle behind the other, and avoided receiving an attack from the side.

The ensemble of clashing blades sounded like strange music based in a single sound.

"-!"

One of them let out a shout and the other replied.

"...!"

And their speed rose.

It rose, continued to rise, and did not stop.

.

Ketsueki worked to continue head on because he felt he would mess up again if he lost focus.

His body remembered the motions.

He had learned these motions when training with other Tamakoma members.

That had continued for a long time.

He did not think about what he should do. He tried things and learned with with body.

His training had taught him body what to do and his experience accurately guided his movements.

And so he simply released himself.

How about this attack? How about this evasion? How about this defense?

He tried it all and built up what worked.

He found at what speed his attacks would hit and went with that.

The opponent had tremendous natural speed. His reinforced body could raise that speed as far as necessary.

But what did that matter?

The other speed was built upon his training.

His muscles, balance, and timing were taken to the extreme.

In that case, he could cut away all else.

He would not rely on his Trigger until he absolutely had to.

He was still more inexperienced with his Triggers and he could only move so fast.

If he relied on the Trigger, the Trigger's limits would become the limits of his own speed.

 _...I can't have that._

His branch had not been training him in Trigger usage.

The Trigger had merely been one part of his combat training.

And yet...

"...!"

He had forgotten that recently. He had felt unease and impatience over having less battle experience with the new Trigger and he had felt a fear which could also be called vainglory. Those things had led him to show off his Trigger before he had sharpened his own movements.

 _...But I lost!_

His Trigger was not the way forward. He could not win like that. Then what was the foundation of his speed?

 _...I know the answer!_

It was his body.

There was something he needed to do before using the Trigger to get rid of unseen obstacles.

 _...I must eliminate the stagnation in my own movements!_

He would rely on the Trigger and then move. He would use all of his training.

 _Yeah, that's right._

He would raise his precision.

He would eliminate the waste.

He would throw aside his hesitation.

He would use his entire body, he would not be bound by his chained-together movements, and he would move with the speed created by his own movements. He would create the extreme form of the movements one could only make after long years of training.

He could wait to ask for any sort of help until after doing all that.

"...!"

If he did that, he would be able to purify all of the stagnation.

If his opponent was reinforcing his body, he would become nothing but speed.

When he took that to its extreme, no instantaneous reinforcement could stand up to his training.

 _Go._

He raised his precision and poured out all his strength.

 _Go!_

His speed could go further. He had to sharpen his movements until he felt nothing.

 _Go!_

He could not play around with his opponent no matter how fast he might be.

"-!"

He felt something in his mind. He did not know what it was. He did not try to figure out what it was. His eyes did nothing but watch his movements and his ears could only sense the wind.

.

Yoneya continually pursued the change in Ketsueki's movements.

His lacking chain of attacks had suddenly grown more honed.

 _This isn't a chain of attacks!_

His attacks were growing more indefinite.

His movements were those of pursuit. He was constantly releasing his Trion Body's energy toward a single point.

 _But he isn't getting anywhere._

Rather than a chain of attacks, he would pursue the attack he himself threw and use that in his next attack.

It looked like his speed was growing with each attack, but that was not actually the case.

He was shedding the excess holding back his attack speed.

To him, the motions of his attacks were honing his speed.

The more slashes and jabs he released, the sharper his movements grew. It was a lot like a baby bird initially being unable to flap its wings properly but learning how to do so as it pecked at the inside of the nest.

 _He's really fast._

His movements looked like he was tearing at the air with a thin blade to create an even sharper tip.

Yoneya responded by raising his own speed. As he increased the pressure of his steps, he avoided the attacks and unleashed attacks of his own.

But Ketsueki did not receive those attacks.

Defense would only be stagnation for him, so he did nothing but evade.

"...!"

And with those evasions, he moved forward.

Yoneya finally saw the other directly before him.

He had caught up.

As he moved at high speed, he saw the other's expressionless face with slightly raised eyebrows.

 _But he isn't looking at me._

The other was looking behind him.

 _He's looking at where his speed will take him!_

As if to answer, Ketsueki tilted his forehead forward.

"..."

The older struck his chest as if to shove him out of the way.

And so he took action. He further increased the pressure of his steps and traveled ahead of the speed.

This high speed step back put him in front of the older one speed so he could intercept the older one as he approached his limit.

But just as he prepared his stance, the older one raised his speed even further.

"!?"

In that moment, he saw that the wind, sand, and everything else around the older one were not obstructing his movements.

 _...He pushed them away..._

He had been using the same Trigger the entire time.

But he had been holding it back by focusing on his body's movements.

Now, he released it.

He raised his head in front of him.

The older one's gaze stabbed into his eyes, but he was still not looking at him.

He was looking further back.

"Kh..."

He knew that the destination of the older one's push was not where he stood.

It was much further along. That was the location he looked for with his true limit based in his training.

"Kh!"

As he approached, he gathered a bit of strength in the right arm holding Trishula.

Yoneya leaped toward him.

He gave a compact swing of his spear.

"Here it is!"

And he leaped.

.

Through the screen, the three saw what happened next.

Ketsueki walked past Yoneya's as he charged in headlong.

The powerfully raised precision of his movements and the chained-together pushing treated even Yoneya as a stagnation and his training provided him with the movements needed to surpass him.

In an instant, his feet planted on Yoneya's raised knee, the chest of his uniform, his shoulder, and his back.

"..."

And he landed to the ground on the other side.

But the three saw another movement.

After Ketsueki passed by him, Yoneya planted his left leg in the air.

"...!"

A tremendous noise rang out and he turned around.

He sacrificed his left leg to kick off the air and rotate 180 degrees.

"Ah!"

The young man in a gray uniform let out a roar and leaped with his greatest speed yet.

.

 _This should work,_ thought Yoneya.

Having his opponent step over him had taught him the older's speed and how he achieved it. And from his countless attacks and evasions, he understood the speed of the older's attacks.

He was certain that Ketsueki's speed would rise even further.

But he now had his back to him. Even if he used Trishula's extending shaft to send a backhand blow behind him, that very same long shaft would be slowed when it reached his body in the middle.

Even if he tried to swing Trishula in him hand, he could attack before it reached him.

"...!"

So he moved forward to hit.

But then he saw Trishula come shorten in his hands.

It was lighter and it was shorter.

It looked like he was coming to a stop.

"!"

And in an instant, he performed a back snap to send Trishula flying up from below. The short shaft did not strike his body, the butt end passed vertically below his arm, and he completed a full swing.

Its speed was on an entirely different level from before.

He did not fully turn around for this counter, but the counter itself was directly facing Yoneya.

It would hit him, so he made an immediate decision.

He would use his right leg.

"!"

With a roar, he kicked off the air with that leg.

Without thinking, he simply launched himself toward the other's left side.

He flew, but this would mean he could no longer use his right or left legs.

 _I will win!_

He rotated his body and prepared his spear. He would strike the older with the blade as he passed by him.

He was still swinging up the right backhand, so he had his back to the left.

He would hit.

Ketsueki took instant action.

As Trishula compactly rotated up and around, he slipped underneath it.

 _They learn a lot of things when fighting other crazies!_

The older one's body had chosen it almost subconsciously.

He circled to the other side of Trishula and grabbed the rotating shaft in his left hand.

A moment later, Yoneya's spear reached Trishula.

"!"

And the two weapons struck.

Trishula was slender, so it bent and creaked.

"..."

As soon as his attack was blocked, Yoneya received an attack.

Ketsueki launched a rapid-fire shower of attacks that exceeded his previous chain of attacks. In an instant, dozens of attacks reached the younger one.

"!"

His spear flew into the air.

As he looked up into the air after it, a slash from Trishula fell from above.

Yoneya grinned as he was struck down.

"This is seriously always fun~!"

* * *

 **Ketsueki Kagerei**

 **Trion** \- **10**

 **Attack** \- **10**

 **Defense/Support** \- 6

 **Mobility** \- **10**

 **Skill** \- 8

 **Range** \- 5

 **Command** \- 7

 **Special Tatctics** \- 3

 **Total** \- 58


	3. Ketsueki Kagerei (2)

**Chapter 3:** Ketsueki Kagerei (2)

* * *

"Using the wrist as the main focus, spinning it to the exact spot you want it becomes much easier. It also involves well trained hand-eye coordination. It's easy to train in that though. Playing video games, multitasking, playing darts or pool, and even just writing can help you with this. This doesn't just apply to this kind of thing either. Simple things in your life will also benefit from being able to do something like this."

Ketsueki continued speaking as he easily twirled Yoneya's spear around his body as if performing some sort of dance.

The owner of the spear, as well as his underclassman, watched and took everything that was being said as if it was food.

"As a Sniper you must know how this can help, Kodera-kun. You too, Narasaka-kun. If you two keep things up then I have no doubt that you will only get much better. Although, this is being said from the perspective of an Attacker. Take it for what you will. I on wonky doesn't mean much."

"Oh, no! Thank you for this!"

Ketsueki gave a chuckle at Kodera's energetic reply.

Using only one hand, the spear spun a few more times before coming to a stop. It was being held with two hands before being moved up and down the air as if attacking enemies that were not there.

"Your spear really is much lighter than Trishula. It's no wonder you move so well, Yōsuke-kun. That being said, look at my failures as an example of what not to do. Do not assume that because you appear to have the advantage that you actually do. Thinking you have won before the fight is over means that you lost before it even began."

"Right~! But shouldn't you be saying to look at your wins as an example?"

"Not necessarily."

He moved the spear slowly through the air while moving his feet on the ground.

"While you can see what you can do for a win, looking at a failure or a loss shows just how much room there is to improve. Through that you can find out new things and new ways to combat against those failures."

In one swift motion he cut through the air, making a sound that only the two on the floor could hear.

"We are Attackers, so we need to keep our bodies in shape to keep up with the close-combat fights we are in. We may be able to extend our respective weapons, but that can also be used against us. Remember that our job is to maintain field advantage while we are being supported by the ones behind us. That is why you need to always have trust in your teammates, whether you are pissed at them or just don't feel like dealing with them."

He ignored the small scene Yoneya was making by grabbing Kodera by the neck and giving him a one arm hug.

After one more swing he spun the spear around a bit before holding it in place. He looked down at the two sitting on the floor with a smile.

"I suppose I do not need to tell you that. You guys are rather fine off without any sort of advice from someone trying to sound smart. I mean, _you do_ have Tsukimi-san as an Operator. I have no doubt that you will all be fine."

From the corner of his eye he could see Tsukimi give a rather smug smile. He also saw Narasaka roll his eyes.

He took another look around at the four in the room. His smile started to go down a bit when he remembered that their captain was not there.

He let out a small sigh as he started to lean on the spear a bit more.

.

 _I suppose that is to be expected. Miwa-kun probably wants nothing to do with any of us after what happened. Even so, I can not let him have his way. Kuga-kun deserves a chance. Even if I have yet to actually meet him... That's besides the point. There should be no one who is left out simply because of something out of their control._

He felt bad for Miwa and what he had gone through, but he knew that he could not side with the younger A-Rank on matter like these.

Even so, he was worried about what this could do to the boy. His hatred for Neighbors always brought about worry in Ketsueki, so having just lost a chance to get rid of one must feel like a major loss to him.

The topic of the team's captain was something he wanted to bring up but knew that it would lead to nothing good. A comment here and there, most likely, although that would not help him in finding a way to help Miwa.

He knew that there was little chance Miwa thought of him as a friend, so Ketsueki did not worry about him as a friend. Instead, he worried about the boy as a fellow agent, fellow A-Rank and as a friend to two of his own friends.

He was not presumptuous enough as to think that even those reasons were good enough.

That was why he had yet to take any action towards Miwa.

Waiting seemed to be the best option at the moment.

.

"Well, I suppose I need to go now. There are still things I need to do since I have only recently gotten back. This is the irritating part about leaving."

"Then why not just stay for a while? I'm sure everyone would be happy to know that they don't have to worry about if you died for just left on another adventure."

"Tsukimi-san, you know that I can't actually control when I leave. If I could then I would make sure to inform someone before I even leave the city. By the time I realize that I even left I'm already in a different country."

"I still don't get how that happens. Do you really not notice that you get on a plane or boat?"

"Not really. If anything, it feels like I'm sleeping most of the time. So, in a way, you can say that I'm sleepwalking when I leave."

"That's some bad case of sleepwalking then. I remember the first time Shōhei found out that you were nowhere to be found. He was freaking out so much that we actually had to bring in _Suzume_ to help out! She had to suffocate him between her breasts before he started calming down!"

"That's not something he needs to know! It didn't help that you read that message in such an eerie way that it made it seem like he was kidnapped!"

"Oh. My bad. I am very sorry for worrying you so much, Kodera-kun. I will make sure to message you personally when that happens."

"That's not necessary!"

"Hey, Narasaka, why do you look like you need to take a dump?"

"Yōsuke-kun, don't just suddenly change the conversation to such a drastic thing. Also, don't ask about someone else who really looked like he's already crowning."

"So vulgar..."

Narasaka could feel his eyebrow twitching as he maintained his calm attitude. He knew that while Yoneya was just being an idiot, Ketsueki truly did have moments when he became an airhead, the vulgarity was just something that had come up due to Yoneya's phrasing.

Knowing that nothing good would come from staying quiet or correcting what was said, he spoke up with a proper answer instead.

"I was only wondering what kept you distracted during your fight, Kagerei-san."

.

He had forgotten about that.

Something had certainly been in his mind while he had been fighting. It was not anything particular. It was simply a feeling.

It was a feelings of complete dread.

He had gotten the feeling like something bad would happen. Even more so as he was losing the fight. As if that had been a test for him to see if he would be of any use should something come up later on.

Whether it was Miwa Squad testing him or just his own mind testing him, he could not say for sure.

Now that he had won he felt as if that feeling of dread had deminished. It was smaller than before, but most certainly there.

That was why he was still there, giving Yoneya and Kodera some advice while messing around the the former's spear. It helped to ease his mind.

He noticed that the others were waiting for answer and so provided one for them.

"It wasn't much. I just had a feeling, that's all. It was a bit bothersome, but I got over it once I got into the fight."

He turned back to Yoneya with his eyebrows lowered.

"Sorry about not going all out from the start, Yōsuke-kun."

"It's fine. It was pretty easy to tell that your were distracted, so I gave you some time. Although I did have to beat you to the ground first~"

He could only give a small laugh at the statement.

"Still, you were moving really well, Kagerei-san. You were keeping him on his toes at the start. And you never let up on your speed."

"Thank you, Kodera-kun, but the fact he was able to keep up while I used Kiyome just shows how much of a fighter he really is compared to me."

"You are still getting use to that Trigger, right? Such an odd thing, that one. To 'push' or 'purify' the surrounding area so that there is nothing keeping your speed down... Who thought of that again?"

"That would be Taiyōko-san who hangs around the R&D department from time to time. She took note of how Grasshopper is a burst of speed that can cause some issues should something get in the user's way, as well as be an obvious Trigger once the plate is put down. This one is much different in the sense that by the time they notice the sign frame appearing I am already into my motion and attacking."

Yoneya crossed his arms while nodding.

Having been the one to see it up close he knew exactly what the older man was talking about.

"People who are use to Grasshopper can do something similar, but there is a small delay between when they put the plate down and when they step on it. Ketsu-san's Trigger appears out of nowhere while he's already speeding up regularly. There isn't a delay since he's basically running straight the while time."

"Using natural speed for Kiyome and using artificial speed for Grasshopper. The two may be able to mix well if used correctly."

Ketsueki lightly shook his head while moving away.

"No. Those two will never be able to work together. They must be used one at a time."

He continued speaking while getting a paper and pen.

"Grasshopper creates the obvious burst of speed that the user needs to move forward when their own speed is not enough. Kiyome uses the person's natural speed and simply pushes away everything that gets in the way of that speed. Kiyome would not recognize the use of Grasshopper as the user's natural speed."

"What would happen if you tried that?"

Ketsueki shrugged his shoulders.

"It may just not active. Or it may overload and mess the person up. That's why I don't have both. I don't particularly want to find out."

It was easy enough to understand.

The two Triggers were simply not made to work together.

It was not like they were the only ones.

.

Seeing that they all understood what they were talking about, as well as being Haley that the conversation had changed, Ketsueki made his way towards the door. He could hear the two in the floor get up from behind him.

"Well, thank you for today. I need to be on my way though. Toshiro-san and Yamada-kun wanted to see me about something. I really mustn't keep them waiting."

"They're coming back too? Maybe they decided to follow your lead and come see everyone again. How about I just tag along~!?"

Yoneya was quick to make his way over to the door, already standing next to Ketsueki. The grin on his face meant he had something planned, but none of them asked about it.

Ketsueki looked over at the teenager with a skeptical look.

"I'm going back to the base. Are you sure that Miwa-kun will be fine with you going? If he found out then he might tell you something about it."

"It's fine~ It's not like Shuji controls what I do. Besides, I want to go and see Shiori for something."

"If you say so..."

The two gave quick waves to the others in the room before leaving.

.

As they left, the ones in the room started talking once more.

Narasaka spoke up from his spot, expression unreadable.

"Did he really think we forgot about what he said? I'd rather have Yoneya deal with him instead of us though, so I have no complaints about it."

"He is more likely to open up with him than with us. That's just how it is for people like that. Birds of a feather, I suppose."

* * *

Ketsueki let out a small sigh as he rubbed his stomach.

There was something there. That same feeling from before had been bubbling up inside of him, keeping him from focusing too much on other things at the moment.

The included Yoneya talming to him.

"Ketsu-san!"

Blinking a few times, Ketsueki turned to give a sheepish smile.

"My apologizes, Yōsuke-kun. I have something on my mind. Would you mind repeating what you were saying?"

"I was asking if you knew what those two wanted after having just come back. If they want something from you then you should know a bit, right?"

"Actually... I have no clue. I have only met those two three times. Apparently we have gotten a few new members as well, but I have yet to meet them. It's a pity but even the few times I have spoken with them I hardly remember. That is more my fault since they were times just before I had left for one reason or another."

"You haven't even seen them around the base before? Nothing?"

Ketsueki shook his head.

He could honestly say that he as completely disappointed in himself for something like this.

People in his own branch were almost complete strangers to him.

Due to his unscheduled trips and the expeditions he had been on for Border, he did not get to know some others. He had been told of their exploits before, but could never congratulate them in person.

That seems to he happened right now as well.

He had been told about the new members of the Tamakoma Branch and of what they can do, but he has yet to meet them and welcome to himself.

He hated that part of himself.

The part that loved mythology so much that it kept him from even doing something as simple as welcoming others.

"Well, what exactly do you know about them then?"

Ketsueki let out a small sigh at having been torn away from his thoughts.

He was grateful that Yoneya was there.

"Not much. As far as I know, they had left Mikado City in search for something. Not just them. Some others also went, but for what, I do not know."

.

Yoneya gave a small groan as he continued walking.

He had gotten along rather well with one of the two, what with both of them being energetic, but he had never been told why they had left on some sort of trip. All that anyone really knew was that they had gone to help find some more recruits for Border.

The ones who really knew them also knew that they were searching for something else.

This would be a chance to ask them himself.

He was not a nosy person, but this was rather interesting. Especially if they were asking for someone they had only met three times.

It was just a bit puzzling.

As he thought more about it, Yoneya noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

It was something that was actually pretty hard to miss. It was a familiar purple and crimson that he had only seen once before. There was just no mistaking it.

That was why Yoneya turned to Ketsueki once more, this time with something different in mind.

"Hey, Ketsu-san, I'll actually have to pass for the moment. There is someone that looks familiar. I wanna go see if it's really them."

"Hm? Oh. Okay. That is fine. I'll see you around, I suppose."

"Yeah! See ya!"

With that, Yoneya ran off to where he saw the two colors passing by.

There was no point in lying to the older agent when he was not someone who would lie to others. It was just rude, especially since he is an older agent.

That was why Yoneya gave an honest answer before leaving behind the slightly confused Ketsueki.

"I wonder who it is."

.

Ketsueki looked over in the direction Yoneya went.

A certain building was in that direction.

 _I should greet them first... It isn't like they are going anywhere..._

With an almost bitter smile he started for the Tamakoma branch office once more.

 _I wonder what everyone will be like. I was gone for a while and now we have so many new members. It is a good thing that there are even more people who can join us. I just worry that there may be conflicting personalities._

He shook his head while scrunching up his face.

 _No! Everyone has been telling me good things about these new people! I must trust in them!_

He let out a sigh.

 _I just hope that there will not be any conflicting personalities among them. From what I heard, they should get along well enough. Even so..._

He had yet to meet any of the new members, and he hardly knew two actual members as it was. To say that he could figure out what to do before meeting everyone would be a lie.

To be presumptuous would mean he would be giving way to doubt towards his fellow branch members. Doubt would then lead to stagnation for him that even Kiyome would not be able to push aside.

Being an honest guy who lived an honest life, things like that would harm him later on and bring about unwanted feelings towards others.

Even so...

 _I am not so naïve about the world as to assume that no one will lie or doubt. That is why I must be a person who counteracts such things. Never give way for negativity or you will never move forward._

"At least... That's what I have learned from them. If I cannot follow even such basic things then I would not be able to continue watching them. So... What rules do you exactly live by again?"

With a solemn expression, Ketsueki stopped walking while turning his gaze towards his right.

Standing there was a grinning person with a disturbing aura about him.

He was the one person that anyone and everyone hated for one reason or another. There almost was not a reason to actually hate him, yet everyone did.

He enjoyed all of that hatred.

"Me?"

Misó Epanástasi walked forward, grinning growing ever so slightly.

"So long as there is pain, I don't care what happens. Lies, doubt, fear, pain, terror. All of those and more. I live for such things. That's why I always go to that hospital. To make sure that they are still there, laying motionless. That alone is fine since I know how you feel about it~"

It took all of Ketsueki willpower not to do anything about what was just said.

That was something this person could do ever so easily. He could get under anyone's skin by stabbing his sharp words into their wounds. Even after that he would continue on until they were ready to end it all.

Even then...

"You know, contrary to what you all might think, I actually hate when people die. That's why I am also happy that they are still alive. _That way people like you are constantly in pain of knowing you failed._ "

In one quick motion Ketsueki was five steps closer while Misó was seven steps away.

A grinning face and a glare.

The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds before Ketsueki let out a breath through his nose. He tried to relax his muscles but found that he could do no such thing when around a guy like this.

So instead he got to the point.

"What do you want? Besides harassing me, you have something else to say. You wouldn't have come to me otherwise."

Misó, while enjoying seeing the older man in such a way, rarely went up to him for one reason or another. The only times he had were when there was something actually important to say.

This had to be one of those times.

"I just wanted to tell you that there's a Neighbor walking around. I can tell you what she wants, but that's too boring. I just wanted to let you know. Just in case there is an invasion. I want at least you Tamakoma people to be ready."

"And why is that? I thought that you of all people would be excited at the prespect of an invasion. That kind of chaos would bring you joy, would it not?"

Misó let out a small sigh before turning around.

"I would most certainly enjoy it. But not as much as I should. Unkept chaos is pointless since it more savage and brings things down to the level of an animal. If the chaos is contained and manageable then it truly will be between intellectual people who know of the pain they are bringing. That, to me, is what is great. Although..."

There was a moment of silence.

In the moment Misó turned his head to give Ketsueki a look of pure ecstasy that made him want to vomit from knowing what it was about.

"Unkept chaos is true chaos that brings us all down to nothing more than naked beasts, beating each other with sticks. That's when we go wild and show the truly ugly side of free will. And once everything settles down... The pain and hatred that comes from it is enough to get me off~"

"That is enough!"

Ketsueki began walking toward the Tamakoma base once more, this time with the intend of simply escaping the evil person that was far too happy right now.

He could hear a few more things being said but chose to ignore them in favor of continue on his way.

Anything else that came from Misó at this point would just be venomous to hear, so much so that even Ketsueki would fall prey to it and start thinking about pointless things that would cause stagnation once again. Any sort of stagnation was bad for someone like him, which was why anything else said became static to his hears.

It had become a talent of his to hear this static instead of words.

Yet he still took into account what he had been told.

 _An invasion... We should be prepared regardless... We can't allow for anything bad._


End file.
